But I celebrate her.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY rIAm!!

I’ve long held Einstein as a personal hero of mine. It helps that we share the same birthday. But more importantly I respect him for how he revolutionized science, held strong pacifist beliefs, balanced his scientific work with his religious beliefs, and he was a vegetarian on top of all that.

I wish I could say I have thoroughly immersed myself in learning about Einstein and his life, and hence can completely justify my putting him on a pedestal. My reading about him has been limited to two books, neither giving true biographical insight into his life. Possessing Genius: The True Account of the Bizarre Odyssey of Einstein’s Brain (Paperback) is neat because it was written by a Canadian and covers such an interesting but little no fact, that Einstein’s brain was removed from his body before he was cremated. The other book is Alan Lightman’s Einstein’s Dreams. This is more of a thought experiment on what Einstein’s thought experiments that led him to relativity might have been about. This little book has made for some good bed time reading and of course, thought experiments.

I was enthralled by the Einstein exhibit at the Field Museum in late 2003 (the link goes to information on the American Museum of Natural History web site). On a sillier note, I watched the movie I.Q. some years back and as sweet as it is to have Einstein depicted by Walter Mathau, it didn’t give me a whole lot of insight into Einstein’s life.

Needless to say I have plenty of more reading and exploring I’d like to do to learn more about Einstein and his contributions. Then maybe we’ll revisit this topic with more thoughts on why he should be on the pedestal I’ve put him on.

For now, happy birthday, Albert Einstein. Sharing the same birthday as you reminds me I have lot to live up to if I want to have an impact on this world.

In the last days of my 20s, a visit to Chicago’s Little India on Devon Avenue and poking around in wonderous fabric shops has served to heighten my over a decade-long desire to travel to India. I can smell and taste and the advetnure that awaits me and j. there.

I’ve discovered that the one quarter of myself I thought was Polish might really be closer to Belarussian because a western swath of the country traded hands between Poland and Belarus (under the Soviet empire) in my grandfather’s youth. Suddenly where I came from isn’t as straightforward as I thought, but it will no dobut be exciting to devlve into, uncover and absorb. I’ve already started in the last days of my 20s.

My shoe collection (obsession, some might say) is on the increase and my mother, the woman who so many always thinks looks like my sister or a girlfriend, takes full responsibility for me acquiring five pairs of shoes in one day during the last days of my 20s.

I noticed as I put on an outfit for my first wedding shower on Sunday that my body has slimmed down compared to where it was a year ago, but it is not the body I knew when I was 20. But I accept this body and during the last days of my 20s, I have (almost) completely left behind obsessing over feeling it is so flawed.

Wonderful flavours from Mexico at Mi Tierra, Middle Eastern/Persian buffet at Reza’s Restaurant, and hoity toity goodness at Blackbird pepper the last days of my 20s. Some home cooking by j. and me including my very successful first attempt at a quiche, and some goodies picked up from local shops like D’Amato’s Bakery round out my bottom and these last days of my 20s.

During the last days of my 20s, I’ve been cognizant of the richness of these days and how far I’ve come in this decade. I better understand and appreciate the unconditional love and support all my family members continuously give to me. I hope I have grown up enough to give them the same in return. The last days of my 20s have only reminded me how much they all mean to me.

And now my 30s are before me, undefined. How will I define these coming years?

The front of j.’s card to me ties in nicely with my philosophy of “carpe diem”: “Life is a daring adventure or nothing.” – Helen Keller (1880 – 1968)

I, too, look forward to so many wonderful adventures to come.

happy, happY, hapPY, haPPY, hAPPY, HAPPY 25th BIRTHDAY to jft, my amazing fiancé and blogging partner, amongst many, many other supportive and wonderful things.

It looks like February 24 is good day to be born on.

Dearest j., I need to tell you two very important things on your half-way-to-50, you-are-a-quarter-century-old birthday:

• You are so beautiful… to me.
• Have a great year!

Buon compleanno, bello.

* For those who might be wondering, my first favourite Beatle is John Lennon. My second favourite is George Harrison. He was born on February 25, 1943 and died December 1, 2001. Third on my favourite list is Ringo Starr. Paul McCartney used to make the list, but in recent years he’s become too weird and egotisical for me. When I was a kid between the ages of birth and about 12 or so, he was probably number one on my favourite Beatle list because he was, and still is, my dad’s favourite Beatle. My dad loved to spin his Beatles and Wings records (yes, vinyl albums). His favourite songs were usually the ones sung by Paul, “Yesterday” being his all time favourite and Mull of Kintyre, a song my dad could always be counted on to sing along with at the top of his lungs.